The present invention relates to closures for containers designed to dispense the contents of the container by pouring, and specifically relates to a spouted closure which is securely attached to the container, which is easier to assemble and which is more efficient in its dispensing of the container contents.
Conventional dispenser closures used for pouring the container contents often consist of three components, an inner sleeve which is friction-fit to the inside of the neck of the container, a spout portion which is normally snap-fit into the sleeve so that the spout projects vertically beyond the upper margins of the sleeve and the container neck, and a cap portion which is threaded onto the neck and may often serve as a measuring cup. This type of closure is commonly used for containers of liquid household laundry detergent and related products, although the closure of the invention is not restricted to any specific type of application.
One disadvantage of conventional dispenser closures of the type described above is that the provision of a separate spout and sleeve requires additional tooling for its manufacture and additional labor for the assembly of the final cap. This results in a closure which is often more costly than desired for disposable containers.
Another disadvantage of conventional dispenser closures is that upon completion of pouring a portion of the contents into a measuring cup, the container is returned to an upright position. While most conventional closures have some provision for the drainage of excess contents of the container back into the container, it is very common for excess liquid to be retained on the exterior of the neck, and/or in the interior of the cap, creating a slippery and/or messy condition and making the container unpleasant to use. Also, when the container is almost empty, the design of the inner sleeve often prevents the emptying of the entire contents of the container, thus perpetually trapping a residual amount of the contents in the container. This creates a frustrating situation for the user and results in an unnecessary waste of contents.
Thus, there is a need for a container closure which is preassembled so that additional labor is not required for assembling the spout portion into the sleeve, which is designed to be securely fixed to the neck of the container, and which has sufficient draining capabilities so that excess material is not retained on the spout and on the cap, but instead is drained back into the container. Furthermore, there is a need for such a closure which facilitates the dispensation of the entire contents of the container.